Outstanding special teams have been a staple of the Bears since Lovie Smith hired Dave Toub as special teams coordinator when he took over in 2004.

According to the Dallas Morning News special-teams ranking system, the Bears were No. 1 in 2006 and '07, and they have finished in the top one-third of the league in five straight seasons.

"Dave does a super job with the schemes, he and (assistant) Chris Tabor," Smith said. "It's documented now. We've been good with our special teams since we've been here, we've won a lot of games with our special teams. There is an emphasis placed on it. Our players know the importance of special teams when they have seen games being won based on our special teams play."

Last week was a perfect example of what Toub's crew is capable of. Five punt returns (four by Earl Bennett and one by Devin Hester) averaged 17.4 yards. Four kickoff returns (three by Johnny Knox, one by Danieal Manning) averaged 37.5 yards, including a 102-yard TD by Knox, who was named NFC special teams player of the week.

All four of Brad Maynard's punts were exquisitely placed out of bounds, inside the 20, allowing no return yards. Eight Lions kickoff returns averaged just 18.6 yards, and placekicker Robbie Gould was 2-for-2 on FG attempts, including a 52-yarder, his first ever of more than 50 yards.

"It's just a combination of the crew, great system that we have with our special teams, and our players buying into the importance of special teams. We have a history around here now, we have a reputation around here now, and guys realize that."

--Although there remains some debate as to whether Johnny Knox dropped the football just before or just after crossing the goal line on his 102-yard kickoff-return TD Sunday, he was nevertheless named the NFC special teams player of the week.

"I looked at it, and it was kind of close," Knox said. "I'll try to learn from it. Next time if I get the opportunity to score, I'll just try to hold on to it a little bit longer."

Knox's big return was the second longest in team history, behind only a 103-yarder by Hall of Famer Gale Sayers on Sept. 17, 1967. His three kickoff returns totaled 147 yards, and he leads the NFL with a 35.8-yard average.

Knox said he's seen replays of his return ESPN, which spot shadowed ball boy Darryl Magee running nearly stride for stride with him along the sideline in order to retrieve the ball after the play.

"I talked to him about it," Knox said of the University of Illinois student from north suburban Waukegan. "We got a laugh out of it. He's pretty fast."

--Quarterback Jay Cutler said there wasn't a lot of thought that went into his 5-yard touchdown run that ended with him whirly-birding into the end zone Sunday after a hit by linebacker Julian Peterson.

"I wasn't really thinking that much," Cutler said. "I wanted to get it to Dez (Clark), but the corner kept dropping. I didn't really have a lot of options. When we get down there we've got to take advantage of those opportunities. We've got to get the ball in the end zone. We're going to do whatever it takes."

Asked if he had seen the replay, Cutler said, "Twice."

Cutler said he received no negative feedback from the coaching staff after the dangerous play.

"As long as you get seven (points) and walk away," he said, "they're not going to complain too much."

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he experienced a few anxious moments when Cutler went airborne.

"He's doing everything he can to win," Turner said, "and plays like that are why the guys respect him so much. But no question about it, you take a deep breath and then a sigh of relief when you see him stand up and he's OK."

BY THE NUMBERS
31.3 -- Bears kickoff-return average, the best in the NFL. Five different players have returned kicks, led by Johnny Knox with nine for 322 yards and an NFL-best 35.8-yard average.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm getting tired of getting hit first and then reacting. It's good we're finishing strong, but against a really, really good team, it might be hard. A team might have a really good defense and make our offense struggle a little bit, and it might be hard for us. You have to get going, we have to jump on teams faster." -- Bears DE Adewale Ogunleye on how the Bears have trailed in all four of their games, three of which they've won.

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